Technology Focus in SC 72 By David Ly Features Editor Every student who shows up for class in Room 72 in the Science Center basement gets a computer. As part of a continuing effort to keep up with new technology, the University has unveiled a prototype "studio" classroom that features 14 high speed Macintosh G3 terminals. If successful, other classrooms could be built as early as next year.

LAURA SCHAFFER Room 72 in the Science Center has been transformed into a computer classroom that has become a popular resource for class use.

"The educational environment is changing and we’re trying to make it possible for people to use the technology," said John Meerts, director of Information Technology Services (ITS) .

The project to renovate Science Center 72 began over the summer under the supervision of ITS. The classroom, which cost a little more than $100,000, also has a projector, a lecture table, and a wireless keyboard for the instructor. The design is modeled after similar classrooms at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.

"The idea is for the instructor to use the room to deliver a short lecture, show something on the screen, then have the students turn around and use the computer to do either an exercise or embellish on what the instructor has done," Meerts said.

Courses in physics, biology, economics and computer science are currently utilizing the classroom, and plans to allow theater design and psychology to use the room next semester are already in the works.

"The technology behind it is great. The resources are actually put together pretty well," said Andrew Silverman ’00, a teaching assistant in Computer Science 111. "It’s nice that it’s a separate area where we can lecture and there isn’t a computer in front of the students. People can spend a large amount of time there without getting too fatigued."

According to Mike Roy, director of academic computing services, feedback so far has been positive and the demand for the new room has already exceeded ITS expectations.

"I’ve got e-mail back from three or four professors and they’ve been quite pleased with the way it has worked," Roy said. "The computers have actually worked, so that’s always a victory."

The studio classroom project is just one of the ways ITS has made technology more readily available for student use at the University.

Students in Professor Scott Plous’ Social Psychology class can now check their test grades on the web, as well as access the Social Psychology Network (SPN). The SPN boasts the largest social psychology database on the internet.

"It is really helpful in a class so big to have things be so accessible to us," said Katie Nammacher ’99.

ITS also upgraded all computer labs on campus, purchasing faster computers with more memory. In addition, two rooms in Fisk Hall were set up with multimedia equipment.

The technology upgrades have been made in conjunction with the facilities master plan that the University created last year. Along with the completion of the studio room, a priority for ITS has been to have an ethernet connection available to all students.

The goal was completed this summer after Comcast completed cable installation in all wood frame houses. As part of a prior agreement, Comcast agreed to install cable modems in exchange for the rights to sell cable television in all dormitories.

"I think we’re maybe starting to get a little bit ahead of the majority …we’ve worked hard on our infrastructure and we’re starting to see the fruits of that now," Meerts said.